StateDeptcable1975-95942

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Message Text

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 01 STATE 039242

42

ORIGIN AF-06

INFO OCT-01 EUR- 1 2 ISO-OO SP-02 AID-05 EB-07 NSC-05

CIEP-01 TRSE-00 SS-15 STR-01 OMB-01 CEA-01 COME-OO

XMB-02 IGA-01 USIE-00 L-02 NEA-09 SSO-OO NSCE-00

INRE-00 CIAE-00 DODE-OO INR-07 NSAE-00 PA-01 PRS-01

/080R

DRAFTED BY AF/C:RRSTRAND:GJB
APPROVED BY AF/C : WLCUTLER
AF/EPS: MR. DUNCAN

129712

O 211524Z FEB 75
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY KINSHASA IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL STATE 039242

E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: EFIN, CG

SUBJECT: ZAIRE FINANCIAL SITUATION
REFS: KINSHASA 1452 AND 1427; STATE 027788

1. FNCB VP WEHRMAN CONFIRMS SUSPENSION OF INGA-SHABA LOAN.
THIS STOPS DISBURSEMENT UNTIL SNEL PAYS FEES AND INTEREST
DUE FEBRUARY 10. LOAN AGREEMENT REQUIRES FNCB, AS AGENT,

TO DECLARE SUSPENSION IN ABSENCE OF AGREEMENT OF SYNDICATE
MAJORITY NOT TO DO SO. FNCB DID NOT SEEK SUCH AGREEMENT.

IT REGARDS SUSPENSION AS MEANS OF PUTTING PRESSURE ON GOZ
SHORT OF DECLARING DEFAULT, WHICH FOUR SYNDICATE MEMBERS
HAD PROPOSED INSTEAD. (DECLARATION OF DEFAULT WOULD
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PAGE 02 STATE 039242

REQUIRE AGREEMENT OF EXIMBANK AS WELL AS 51 PERCENT OF

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

SYNDICATE.) SNEL AND BANK OF ZAIRE WERE NOTIFIED OF
SUSPENSION BY TELEX FEBRUARY 14 AND HAVE NOT REPLIED. AT
HIS REQUEST, SPINK WAS GIVEN APPOINTMENT WITH SAMBWA
FEBRUARY 19, BUT APPOINTMENT WAS CANCELLED AT LAST MINUTE
WITHOUT EXPLANATION.

2. WEHRMAN ALSO CONFIRMED DELINQUENCY ON AIRCRAFT LOAN,
CONSISTING OF: 3.924 MILLION DOLLARS DUE UNDER AGREEMENT
LAST AUGUST, BEFORE AGREEMENT ACTIVATED, AND NOT RPT NOT
COVERED BY EXIM GUARANTEE; AND INTEREST PAYMENT DUE FNCB

AND EXIM SOMETIME PAST TWO WEEKS (WEHRMAN DIDN'T HAVE
EXACT DATE AND FIGURES AT HAND).

3. ACCORDING WEHRMAN, THERE IS NO WAY SYNDICATE MEMBER
COULD INDEPENDENTLY DECLARE ITS PORTION OF LOAN IN
DEFAULT (KINSHASA 1452). PERHAPS WELLS FARGO WAS ONE OF
THE FOUR INGA-SHABA SYNDICATE MEMBERS (WHICH WEHRMAN
DISCREETLY AVOIDED IDENTIFYING) WHICH PROPOSED DECLARING
DEFAULT RATHER THAN SUSPENSION. ACCORDING WEHRMAN, ALL
FOUR NOW APPEAR SATISFIED WITH SUSPENSION.

4. WE HAVE NO REPORT THAT ANY LONDON BANKS, OR ANY OTHERS,
HAVE DECLARED DEFAULT ON ANY ZAIRE LOAN. GIVEN EDGINESS
OF BANKING COMMUNITY. WE WOULD RISK FUELING RUMOR BY
INVESTIGATING IT. WE HAVE, HOWEVER, DISCUSSED INFO

PARA 5 KINSHASA 1427 WITH WEHRMAN, WHO REPORTS FNCB HAS
HEARD SIMILAR RUMORS OF POSSIBLE BANK ACTION BUT HAS
BEEN UNABLE CONFIRM THEM THROUGH ITS LONDON SOURCES.

5. WEHRMAN REITERATED FNCB'S DETERMINATION NOT TO PANIC
AND TO KEEP COUNSELING OTHER BANKS TO KEEP THEIR COOL.

HE SAID FNCB HAS CANCELLED NO LINES OR LETTERS OF CREDIT
FOR ZAIRE, THOUGH IT IS NOT WILLING PICK UP NEW BUSINESS
FROM OTHER KINSHASA BANKS WHOSE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS
HAVE STOPPED CONFIRMING LETTERS FOR ZAIRE. WEHRMAN
REITERATED FNCB DISPOSITION TO PROVIDE BALANCE OF
PAYMENTS BRIDGE FINANCING AS PART OF IMF-LED PROGRAM.

6. AS EMBASSY AWARE, IMF MISSION DID NOT FOLLOW SCHEDULE
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PAGE 03 STATE 039242

REPORTED STATE 027788. ARTICLE 14 MISSION, LED BY RUSSO,

LEAVING WASHINGTON FEBRUARY 20 AND ARRIVING KINSHASA
FEBRUARY 22. DINI, NOW IN EUROPE, DUE KINSHASA MARCH 3.

FUND HAS BEEN BOMBARDED WITH CALLS FROM NERVOUS BANKS AND
IS FULLY AWARE OF HOPEFULNESS WITH WHICH FINANCIAL
COMMUNITY WILL BE WATCHING MISSION VISIT. DINI AND RUSSO
ENVISAGE CONSULTATION WITH AMBASSADOR AND ECON STAFF
UNLESS POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE THEY FIND IN KINSHASA SHOULD

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

MAKE CONTACT SEEM INADVISABLE.

7. AGREE WITH EMBASSY ASSESSMENT THAT MOBUTU WILL EXHAUST
LESS PAINFUL POSSIBILITIES BEFORE TAKING IMF MEDICINE.

RISK OF COURSE IS THAT FORMER WILL NOT MATERIALIZE AND
THAT HE WILL TURN TO FUND TOO LATE TO AVOID SERIOUS
FINANCIAL/ECONOMIC DISRUPTION. WE UNDERSTAND FROM
TEMPELSMAN THAT BISENGIMANA HAS BEEN "CLOSETTED" THIS
WEEK WITH REPS OF ARAB INVESTMENT BANK. KISSINGER

CONFIDENTIAL

NNN

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Message Attributes

Automatic Decaptioning: X
Capture Date: 01 JAN 1994
Channel Indicators: n/a
Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Concepts: FINANCIAL CRISIS, BANK LOANS, GOVERNMENT DEBTS

Control Number: n/a
Copy: SINGLE
Draft Date: 21 FEB 1975
Decaption Date: 01 JAN 1960
Decaption Note:

Disposition Action: RELEASED
Disposition Approved on Date:

Disposition Authority: ElyME
Disposition Case Number: n/a
Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Date: 28 MAY 2004
Disposition Event:

Disposition History: n/a
Disposition Reason:

Disposition Remarks:

Document Number: 1975STATE039242

Document Source: CORE

Document Unique ID: 00

Drafter: RRSTRAND:GJB

Enclosure: n/a

Executive Order: GS

Errors: N/A

Film Number: D750062-0671
From: STATE
Handling Restrictions: n/a
Image Path:

ISecure: 1

Legacy Key: Iink1975/newtext/t19750223/aaaaaucu.tel

Line Count: 124

Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM
Office: ORIGIN AF

Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Original Handling Restrictions: n/a
Original Previous Classification: n/a
Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a
Page Count: 3

Previous Channel Indicators: n/a
Previous Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a

Reference: 75 KINSHASA 1452, 75 AND 1427, 75 STATE 027788

Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED

Review Authority: ElyME

Review Comment: n/a

Review Content Flags:

Review Date: 22 APR 2003
Review Event:

Review Exemptions: n/a

Review History: RELEASED <22 APR 2003 by ShawDG>; APPROVED <22 SEP 2003 by ElyME>

Review Markings:

Margaret P. Grafeld
Declassified/Released
US Department of State
EO Systematic Review
05 JUL 2006

Review Media Identifier:

Review Referrals: n/a
Review Release Date: n/a
Review Release Event: n/a
Review Transfer Date:

Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a
Secure: OPEN
Status: NATIVE

Subject: ZAIRE FINANCIAL SITUATION
TAGS: EFIN, CG
To: KINSHASA
Type: TE

Markings: Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 05 JUL 2006